Long campain, Soviet mech battalion, Nov 1941

[serg3d]

Core force expanded:
2 ATG battery 10x 57mm ATG

Meeting engagment
Assigned by Front HQ
KV-1E company: 4x KV-1E
6 mech scout on the bren carriers
2 enf plts

Brigade commander divided forces into tree part
North - KV-1E coy, T-34/57 plt, Rifle coy, 2x GAZ-AAMG, 2x 25mm AA Gun in the truck, 6x 57mm ATG in the trucks.
Noth force should move along the road and take North objective.
Central - KV-1 coy, 7KV-1, T-34/57 plt, Rifle coy, 2x GAZ-AAMG, 2x 25mm AA Gun in the truck, 4x 57 ATG in the trucks. Should close center and take central objective
South - engineers, T-34/57 plt, T-34/76 command tank. Should take south objective and help protect center.
2 57mm ATG put in the center on the overwatch

[serg3d]

0030. Noth force deployed 2 ATG to watch the road
Soon German armored cars appeared in the center and some PzKw-38b(t) on the North road.
ATGs and tanks went into fight.
0500. Everything is good. Both german SdKfz 231 and three PzKw-38b(t) are burning.

[serg3d]

After sometimes all objectives were taken. Frtiz tried several peacemeal tank attack on Central and North objective without any success. Infantry without tank support tried attack the center and was annyhilated by artillery our fire. The only serious situation was on the south flank, wher German elite mountain troops attacked thorugh the forest. After some time two T-34/57 with infantry riders were sent and situation stabilized.

What follow was prolonged period of halfhearted attack and artillery fire from German. At last another tank attack - about half company of Pz II and Pz IIIj, wich were defetaed in details by our KV.
Decisive victory.

[serg3d]

Brigade get upgrade:
4x GAZ AAMG -> 4 GAZ 37mm AA Guns trucks

2/12/41
The enemy have no continuous line of defense here.
Brigade ordered to make fast advance into gap, before mans time to react. The snow is heavy, so we should be careful. There is the panzer division around.

Meeting engagement, visibility 10

To move faster we have some forces attached from from the army reserve :

Cossak squadron
Understrength Ski company - 10 ski secions, 1 scout section
1 halftruck plt 4x halftrucks
4 light trucks plt

The terrain is not very good. There is a big forset in the center and narrow strip the north. All objectives are to the north of the forest, but what if Fritz try flanking in south or attack through the central sector ? There will be huge losses - our infantry is not expirienced enough to fight in the forest, and tank wouldn't be able support it efficiently.
After some thinking Dolya put two ATG and platoon of T-34/57 with infantry riders to the south sector. They are separated from the mian forces and should fight retreat if attacked. If not attacked they will be in reserve.
Another four T34 with rider and two ATG deployed in the north forest strip, blocking the road. Ski troops deployed on the edge of the central forest. Main force is completly mobile and deployed in the center. Several ATG deployed in the back. Dolya is worried that his T-34 are too disperced, that could cause big losses. But he think that with such a low visibility he should try to cover as much of the front line as he can to prevent or at least detect german infiltration into the rear area.

[serg3d]

0020 German artillery punding our rear area. Infantry platoon defending rear objective is suppressed. Artillery observer in the panicked for no reason at all. Our 152mm guns are *not* providing contrbattery fire. They keep telling that the army air recon didn't provide location of the german batteries, and the deep recon of the infantry divsion behind us don't wont work for them because we are not in their chain of command. Dolya gave them some more time. If they will not start contrbattery fire in couple of hours they should start provide close fire support.
Two our mortars run from the battlefield.

0040 4 SdKfz 231(8) appear on the south flank and fell under fire of our T-34/57 plt
In the center our KV and cavalry continue advance. Ski platoons move through the forest and took forest objective.

0050 all four SdKfz 231 destroyed by T34/57. Two SdKfz 222 appear on the north edge of the cental forest. Our KV shoot at them. Enemy started drop smoke. Seems Fritz main forces are not far now.

[serg3d]

0060 Three SdKfz 222 tried to moved along the north forest road, but were destroyed by KV shooting through the gap in the forest from the center. One SdKfz 222 in the center also destroyed. Another either retreated or slipped through our line. Halftruck immobilized by German arty. Two of 152mm battery ordered to fire.

0070 One KV immobilized by 7.5mm howitzer. The rest ordered to advance. Where the hell main geman forces ???

0080 PzIII seen in the forest. If the axis of German advance go through the forest that's not good. Infantry will not be able to hold them. If our T34 went against german in the forest losses will be huge, and KV just too slow, to move them in and out of the forest. All cavalry but scouts ordered to move into forest. Three halftrucks moved there as well.

[serg3d]

0011 About a panzer company moving through the central forest. We have deployed infantry before it, and moved three T34/57 behind infantry. One panzer already burned by infantry. Panzers moving along the north road hit two KV which were supposed to be an ambush. One KV lost in the short range tank duel and another heavily damaged. With the help of KV group in the center and immobilized KV behind all detected panzers destroyed (four PzIIIh). North KVs were supposed to be ambush, but Fritz detected them first instead. KV were separated, left without support and didn't fare well in the short range duels. It was a mistake to put them there at all.
It's not clear if the central german group intend to continue move through the forest or turn into clear. KV in the center ordered regroup and wait for a while. On the south several PzII/III appear and turn into forest. They were hit by our T34/57 plt guarding south flank. Two were destroyed, one T34/57 took heavy damage. It doesn't look good. The serious fighting is not started yet, enemy forces is not commited and we already have substantial losses. If Germans have another three panzer companies somethere with such a loss ratio they will wear us down eventually.